--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Then his expression changed, the soft…" description: "\"“Then his expression changed, the soft edges gone, never truly there. And there it was, Chloe thought. There was the lie. You couldn’t be both: both ba..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e8/victoria-jenkins-23859_bad-thing_then-his-expression-changed-the-soft-edg_2851501.jpg" --- # Then his expression changed, the soft edges gone, never… ![“Then his expression changed, the soft edges gone, never truly there. And there it was, Chloe thought. There was the lie. You couldn’t be both: both bad and good. You could be good and do a bad thing – you could be bad and do a good thing – but one or the other had to be the true you, the real you…” quote by Victoria Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e8/victoria-jenkins-23859_bad-thing_then-his-expression-changed-the-soft-edg_2851501.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e8/victoria-jenkins-23859_bad-thing_then-his-expression-changed-the-soft-edg_2851501.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e8/victoria-jenkins-23859_bad-thing_then-his-expression-changed-the-soft-edg_2851501.jpg) > ““Then his expression changed, the soft edges gone, never truly there. And there it was, Chloe thought. There was the lie. You couldn’t be both: both bad and good. You could be good and do a bad thing – you could be bad and do a good thing – but one or the other had to be the true you, the real you, the one that was inherently in you, impossible to”” [Victoria Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-jenkins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote explores the conflict between moral duality, suggesting a person cannot embody both good and bad simultaneously; one must align with a true self. **In simple terms:** You cannot be both wholly good and wholly bad; you must choose a true self. Key Takeaway Accept your core identity and act consistently. Themes identity morality self acceptance Mood conflicted thoughtful Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - personal reflection - character development - ethical decision making Key Concepts dualism authenticity ethical consistency Questions to Reflect On - How do you define your true self? - Can one act morally while having bad intentions? 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Death didn’t seem something to be celebrated,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-jenkins/there-was-no-wake-to-attend-no-warm-beer-and-barely-filled-sandwiches/) [Victoria Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-jenkins/) > [“itself obvious that evening. Rachel knew what was going on between him and Sarah.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-jenkins/itself-obvious-that-evening-rachel-knew-what-was-going-on-between-him/) [Victoria Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-jenkins/) > [“no amount of time was enough to absorb the shock of such a loss. People just found – somehow – a way to adapt;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-jenkins/no-amount-of-time-was-enough-to-absorb-the-shock-of-such-a-loss/) [Victoria Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-jenkins/) > [“As with every other time, she wished they could go back and undo the things they’d said years earlier; try and do things differently,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-jenkins/as-with-every-other-time-she-wished-they-could-go-back-and-undo-the/) [Victoria Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-jenkins/) > [“Life had taught her that even those closest couldn’t be relied upon – that everyone had a second face and some chose to keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-jenkins/life-had-taught-her-that-even-those-closest-couldn-t-be-relied-upon/) [Victoria Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-jenkins/) > [“Alex rolled her eyes. ‘When’s it not? Have you seen my office recently? There’s a backlog of paperwork a foot high on my desk.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-jenkins/alex-rolled-her-eyes-when-s-it-not-have-you-seen-my-office-recently/) [Victoria Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-jenkins/) [Explore all 25 Victoria Jenkins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-jenkins/) ## More Bad thing quotes > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. 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